The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1887-07-23
THE RAILWAY GHOST.

ILL lt4tlLf IL OllODI-
Westfield Is an old, old town, and
the railroad has run through II for
many year. now upon embankments
which slope TO creeks and inlets, now
through narrow cuts with high hills
rising sheer on either side. Day after
day. year after year, the trains go to
and fro, and sometimes reckless way
farers are seen in the brightness of the
midday making their way from West
field TO the nearest village, or return
ing. on the railroad track.
But there are few who venture that
way after shutdown. Ii Is dangerous,
they say. Many have met their deaths
through folly Of this kind And this
is true. Nevertheless there are those
among them who are thinking of the
Railway Ghost.
1t is the ghost of woman. A dozen
years and more since she died. And
always ut dusk that faint, sad wrath
floats TO and fro over the shining steel
rails that run down cityward from
Westfield between the high rocks and
beneath the first dark arch of stone; IL
is there the white shape floats and
fades and reappears. For il was AT
that spot There Is curve
Immediately beyond the bridge, and
all shut In by rock. You can scarce
breathe, having heard the first dull
roar of the approaching train, ere 1t
Is upon you, leaping and shrieking,
and the carriages dance by like mad
creatures.
But the pale ghost knows no fear.
1t fingers there rs ever. And fourteen
years ago there was no ghost
Let us turn back fourteen years and
read the story.
1t Is morning in June. Morning in
the great city. The sun shines sweet
ly,. the leaves of ivy and wisteria SHIN
mer i'm the soft wind, where the thick
vines have hidden sombre brown stone
exteriors.
Innnumerable aggressive sparrows
compete, carriages chatter through the
closc-built cross-strects occasionally,
and hand-organ somewhere is meas
uring of yard-lengths Of The Little
Duke"
Two people hear the tune as they
stand smiling i'm each others eyes.
They stand near the window i'm the
drawing-roOm of one of those fine
brown stone, wisteria-mantled man
sons The window Is opened little,
and the tune comes up in blithe stac-
cato; one almost hears the words;
See how his face he covers.
lie was tho prince OF lovers
The two people stand smiling a lit
lie longer; then the man turns from
the woman.
II must 90, he says. Everything
is prepared. You will not fail 1T the
last moment? You will not be afraidP'
He Is tall. and dark. and large
framed; she is slight. and fair. and
petite.
She looks at him with great shining
eyes Of azure.
.Oh no. she says; II will not fail.
am woman
"Then az repoir. he says. "At three.
/ will meet the cab at the station
"Good-bye," she says. aud watches
him go out and down the sunny street.
HE was the prince of loyers"-the
hand-organ fings IL mt her from the
distance. And she huns the tune as
she goes about her task. Her task Is
great, yet little. Only TO write "A let
ter-the hriefer the better. All else
is complete Her traveiing-hag Is
packed She Is ready 10 go-to leave
all--for him whom she loves.
The letter is brief. She writes IL
without tear or pang.
George" IL says, Il have gone
for ever. DO not seek me. | have
never loved you. No one is to blame.
was never happy as your wife"
IRENE.
As the clock strikes the half-hour
before three. she places the letter
where IL shall easily be found. and
goes out into the sunshine-goes out
from her husbands home for ever.
The lovers travel far away; they
tourney unmOiested, eVen Dy COM
science. The woman Is happy In her
choice. They have no wealth com
pared with that once hers. But they
have each other
Months slip by. They rarely speak
OF the past. But at length she says -
him one day,
George could not have cared much.
He will soon cut tho legal knot Aud
we can be married. can'twe. FrancisP
Yes" he answers carelessly.
Other months slip by. The lovers
tire Of iourneying. They drift back TO
the great city, but. somehow do not